Brand Me!

The story of newborn ideas which unfold in design classrooms making pathways for real magic to unfold both in character and collective destinies.

As a design educator having seen many students over the years tackling Branding projects a thought often creeps in my mind…is this going to be any different or will there be a regurgitating of ideas?

But as I entered the undergrad Communication Design class of 2021 at ISDI for Independent studio ‘BRANDING’, I met a bunch of eager faces ready to take on the world with their innovative ideas and collective dreams of a new culture.

Gen-Z doesn’t take no for an answer, by applying technology and creativity they decide to tackle real-world issues with ingenuity and honesty.

A regular ‘BRANDING; course turns into a fertile ground to devise minimal viable products and services. From using wet waste to cultivate an authentic Organic food brand to ensuring that Stationary is supplied at your doorstep to having an endless supply of microgreens at the tip of your fingers and of course enchanting the next generation with old stories told on a new platform, new thoughts take shape into a hopeful reality notwithstanding the fourth sin! Here is a glimpse of their creative process.

Supply creates its own demand

‘UGAO’ aims to build trust in a brand by involving the consumer in the process of producing hundred per cent authentic organic fruits and vegetables at relatively affordable prices.

As per the annual report on on waste generation and disposal in Mumbai city, as large as 60% of the wet waste is generated across the city of Mumbai, while only 2% of the generated wet waste is disposed off in the right manner, the remaining 98% waste is dumped off in the sewers and water bodies leading to water pollution. However, the 98% wet waste casually disposed of is not harmful, in fact, if collected, segregated and treated well can be used as a very effective natural plant fertilizer.

The strategy to involve the customer in the process of producing their own organic food by donating their wet waste, will build trust in the
brand and render the products authentic. The wet waste collected will be given to the farmers for free as natural fertilizers. This will encourage the 29.8% farmers (who can not find organic inputs) to cultivate organic crops. This will also save them from spending huge chunks of money on chemical-based fertilizers. As the organic input / wet waste is in large quantity the organic produced will also be in bulk, reducing the cost for the organic crop drastically, thereby making organic food relatively affordable for the consumers.

‘Ugao’ is a Hindi word which translates to grow. The ‘growth’ aspect of
the brand is tangible, an indication of the growth of crops as well as abstract, indicating growth and progression in the way cultivation is done which is moving towards a more sustainable and healthy agricultural practice, through organic farming involving the consumer in the entire lifecycle of the product.

A simple idea!

A simple idea which could take the market by storm by adding value to Indian stationery market accounted for USD 3.1 billion in 2016 in which online sales accounted for 15%. The online sales market is expected to expand by 15.6% between 2016–2024. Indian online stationery market is anticipated to surpass USD 1.6 billion by 2024. Tier-1 cities such as Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai dominated the online sales of stationery products in 2016, with approximately more than 45% market share. Tier-2 cities in India is expected to be fastest growing market owing to growing e-commerce consumer base in tier-2 cities.

The narrative for ‘Simple Station’ is to create an app that delivers stationery, art supplies and print outs to one’s doorstep by detecting the stationery stores in the nearby locality, thus providing convenience to the users by delivering the required items within 45mins. Creating a brand language to match the nomenclature a creative campaign is a prelude catering to a booming market segment.

Going Micro?

The market for home-grown hydroponic micro-greens in India is as good as untouched and can have a tremendous growth rate of at least four crores in metropolitan cities each year. The future is green as India’s has the largest Micronutrient deficiency among all countries. On an average Indian’s consume close to 42,000 tonnes of pesticides in a year including those banned in other countries for their harmful carcinogenic effects.

Nine out of fifteen most polluted cities of the world are in India. Every winter North India chokes in a haze of its own making. Indian vegetables have up to fifty times more poisons than permissible by European standards and green leafy vegetables are contaminated with alarmingly high levels of tapeworm cysts. In ten years, this region will be one of the most water-starved regions of the world!

‘Chief Leaf’ an ally to urban gardeners everywhere. Hydroponic microgreens are young vegetable greens that are approximately 1–3 inches tall. With an aromatic flavour and a 40% higher concentrated nutrient content, mainly rich in iron, zinc, potassium, copper and magnesium. They contain antioxidant levels, higher vitamin and minerals as compared to the same quantity of mature greens. They are easy to grow at home, and a very cost-effective way to boost your nutrient intake without buying large quantities of leaves. They only need minerals, water and light to grow.

Only by consistently supplying it can we hope to increase the demand for the substantive over the superficial and create a world where everyone has access to better food, by designing technologies that you can trust. To convert urban concrete jungles into Hydroponic Kitchen Gardens and provide everyone with clean and more nutritious food and a healthy attitude.

The lost world

Reading is a dying culture… In this era where technology and gadgets have taken over the minds of the kids, inculcating the habit of reading is becoming a challenge.

In the first two months following app launch by Scholastic, nearly 30,000 customers have downloaded the Scholastic Book Fairs app — 72% of which is for iOS devices. Such adoption confirms that parents seek accessible, easy-to-use tools and resources that aid in the selection and purchasing of books for their children. The app has received strong ratings, including an iTunes rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars and Google Play rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

‘HOB’ an Interactive video book brand, where one can place a smartphone device in the compartment give with certain videos supporting texts and the stories. This way seeing the imagery and video the child is now curious to get more information and will tend to read further. It does not come with any tablet any smartphone can fit in, thus not increasing the cost. A supporting app for the various books with videos to increase a child’s curiosity and aid in his thirst for knowledge and wisdom.

‘HOB’ aims to attract its customers and target audience by creating a product which can be mass-manufactured keeping the cost in mind. The approximate cost of the ‘HOB’ Books series would range from INR Rs 300–450.

‘HOB’ aims to be accessible and available to each and every child in every market segment. It’s said once you learn to read you are forever free, the pros of reading cannot be measured. Thus the need for the future is to bridge this gap between technology and books and bring back this lost key of wisdom.

The Fourth Sin

The red lipstick has the power to make the women feel confident, assertive, bold, decisive and in control of her life and actions while, appearing to be feminine, delicate and sensuous.

The market of red lipstick is slowly dying and the effect it has on the wearer is too good to be lost.

‘The Fourth Sin’ allows you flirt shamelessly, or be bold enough to talk to whoever you feel like. It gives you the confidence to be the ‘she-devil’, who is fearless, knows what she wants and adorns her body however she pleases. You get to be chic, powerful, bold and feel like the most desirable woman.

The mission is to sell long forgotten red lipstick while taking four inspirational characters; (The Red Queen, The Evil Queen, Red Riding Hood/ Marilyn Monroe and Frida Kahlo) as promoters of the product while also keeping in mind to make the product sustainable by using paper packaging and other recyclable materials.

Matt or glossy, deep or bright, when you find the best red lipstick for you it can update your look instantly. Every girl wants that red lipstick which will take just one swipe on their lips that leaves her feeling bold, confident and ready to conquer the world.

The 3 in 1 product, is a mixture of matte, velvet and gloss lip-shade which you get to decide. The Brand customises a red lip-shade with your favourite essence which acts as a mood lifter all together.

From berry, scarlet, Hollywood, brick-whatever shade you’re into the brand customises it for you. In short, there will always be a shade that suits you, from rich blue-based reds to bright orange-toned hues.

It’s a small deadly weapon that would make you feel invincible. And who else but the fearless Kangana Ranaut as the brand ambassador is proposed, allowing you to embrace your inner badass femme-fatale.